Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-11-11
UNIT HANNAH

sharers in the glorious sunshine of eternal
day, looked into the cold hard face of my
eldest brother and knew that the days of
sympathetic love in my old home were over
and done for me. Robert was not unkind
or unjust, but sympathy was a quality ut
terly wanting in his composition, and if he
were Just and fair toward others, what on
earth could others want more, in heavens
name he would ask impatiently.
All, well, justice is much but love and
sympathy, what are they not worth in all
our lives from the highest lady in the land,
whose sympathy never fails in.time of need,
down 10 the little school child, who will
spare a few precious crumbs of cake for
the hungry robin in its path
NV other brothers and sisters were all
married and scattered over the world, and
Roberts eldest children we're but few
years younger than myself, the youngest Of
their fathers generation.
For some years ! lived on in the dear old
home and strove to be Of what use | could
No one scrupled % make use Of me, am
bound to say, and by degrees the family
motto seemed to be Aunt Hannah will
do it, She won't mind.
Did she mind Sometimes | think she
did.
The young ones were growing up, and to
them my few additional years constituted,
if not old age, at least advanced middle
age. Little did they think, while their
nimblp feet whirled to Aunt Hannah's play
ing Il could play, and for many reasons
threw my heart into doing my best for
their dance music)-lttle did they think
saw how my shoes we're twitching under
the piano with "A longing to be given a
chance Of a turn myself
one night | overheard a slim young
guardsboy murmur TO my niece
But, ! say, won't your aunt be tired,
playing 50 long O.
Tired Oh, no. she won't mind, re
sponded Edith She likes it.
bent my head over the piano and gulped
down the choke that almost overpowered
me as | steadily marked time in that valse
tune of many memories. Up before the
eyes Of my memory rose that evening sew
en- years before, upon which my future life
had seemed u hinge | was 20 then, and
had been for two years an inmate of my
brothers home was - now and was
still considered too Young to have home
Of my own 10y my elder relations, too old
for young lady amusements by the younger
generation.
So steadily played on, and my thoughts
hoated away backward 10 that evening
have limited at. saw once more small,
dark haired girl with hazel eyes and far
away look in them, and over her bent a
broad shouldered, curly headed young gi-
ant whose voice trembled as he said God
bless you, darling little Hannah; 1 will
come 10 morrow and see Robert and you. -
But oh. Mike, Nike, why did you never
come-never, never, and the next thing
that heard was that you had gone TO India
the following week, and the year after that
Won were married And Oh. what had
done, what had | done, TO deserve such a
blow as this
Had | misunderstood him Good heav-
ems had shown that | thought he loved
me. and he had meant nothing and taken
| fright, and done the most merciful thing he
| could by vanishing from out Of my life
Night and day | wearied myself to think
out this agonizing puzzle. Speak TO Rob
| ert | dared not What could he think of a
| girl who had admitted she loved some one,
when the some one had too clearly not
wished for her love
Roberts wife was wrapped up in her ba-
| bies. and on the only occasion ON which
| had braced my heart to ask her advice, had
answered me through the reigning infant
Tell her see mutton be topped and glum
my Tootsewootsee see mutt 'tum and play
VIZ 90, my precious, muttent see
| Henceforward fought my battle alone
and subsided into the long suffering, placid
Aunt Hannah, who was supposed not tc
mind" the dreary bits of employment which
all the others shirked.
Just when had struck p my rich old
godmother died, and to my surprise, left
me handsome slice of her fortune, coup
ling with il the command that | should tax,
her name in place of my own. From Han
nah Grey became, therefore, straightway
Hannah Sinclair With my new name
furthermore asserted my independence. and
set up for myself little house in London
| NV dear old nurse took the lead in my
| household, and the first night that | estab
lished myself by my own tireside and start
ed as a free lone woman, laid my head OF
her knees and cried as if my heart woulC
break Ailsie asked no questions, but
stroked my head in silence. Some peopl,
are blessed with an instructive sympathy
and tact. My dear old Ailsie was one o
them. We never once alluded to that even
ing IN all the long years we spent together
but somehow | think she had grasped NOR,
than | ever guessed.
BY degrees my little home became tn,
useful rendezvous of all the family NJ!
nall was many time filled with forbid
ding looking females, all unsummoned b,
me, but come by appointment to see Mrs
| Grey about the cooks place, num-" ant
presently a cab would haul up with jerl
and my sister-in-law would hustle in, drop
ping brown paper parcels from her arm
80 sorry dear, ! had no time to write, a
baby's tooth bothered him so, but l knew
YOU wouldn't mind Hardly any of tn
L.,
so the same ceremony was repeated man,
a time.
did not mind the women so much, bu
the out of place men servants, own, wer
"A trial TO me. Frenchmen, Italians, Ger
mans, Irishmen, all and sundry. The
stood in rows, blocking up my little hall
and had been summoned by my niece Edith
TO whom her mother had in most case
thrown the Morning Post and a heap o
halfpenny cards, saying Write TO an
likely ones and tell them to meet me tO
morrow. Aunt Hannah won't mind, an
baby wants me now.
That little trouble. however, was put a
end to in this wise. One of the men turn
ed out TO have been a notorious burglar
and an attempt was made ON my hous
which failed, owing to the promptitud
with which Ailse had struck light in tn
basement, while the footman had locke
himself securely in the pantry.
Robert was very kind about this. an
peremptorily forbade any more engage
ments of the kind being made, He woul
see all men servants at his own club in fu
ture.
So my life flowed evenly on for year G
two, and my nephews and nieces came an
went, and my doors flew open to thel
heartily.
Aunt Hannah, said Bobby one day, q
he rushed in laden with an enormous han
per, 'you won't mind this standing her
lust while I'm having luncheon, will you
It's only a badger fellow has given me
take home, It's awfully jolly if you'd lik
10 have it out"
"No, thanks | answered, with IN
pocket handkerchief to my nose I'VE ca
stand the hamper down in the area.
isn't exactly sweet you know, Bobby"
! "Not sweet Why it only badger, an
| can't stay long because my train goes I
B, don't you know =
) "But where's Tim = asked, looking b.
e yond him to the empty hanson,
"Oh blythe by, forgot" he answere
, promptly "rims sickening for the me-
4 sles, they think, so mother thought that
had better not 90 home but as they won
3 keep him at old Blazers" +" he continued,
5 he flung himself cheerily into an arm cha
S in the sitting room, "he is 10 follow by Il
( next train and mother wrote that she WI
sure you wouldn't mind if he came straig
e to you, but | was to ask you, don't yc
70 know ~
"Here | burst out laughing, and Bobl